Do you know the warning signs of oral cancer?

November is Mouth Cancer Action Month, and dentists up and down the country and trying to raise awareness of symptoms many people may shrug off as harmless. Mouth cancer, also known as oral cancer, kills more people than testicular and cervical cancer combined, yet 1 in 10 people don’t even know that it exists.

Public awareness of mouth cancer is low, and sadly, this means that many cases are diagnosed at an advanced stage when treatment is less likely to be successful. This month, the Oral Health Foundation and dental professionals all over the UK are hoping to make people more aware of the symptoms and warning signs so that more cases can be diagnosed at an early stage. Early diagnosis can increase the possibility of survival by up to 90 percent.

London dentists, Dr Rhona Eskander and Dr Anna Cantlay claim that many patients don’t think anything of having a sore throat or an ulcer that’s still there after 2 weeks, but these are signs that could potentially indicate mouth cancer.

Dentists are keen to encourage as many people as possible to book a dental check or an oral cancer screening this month and they’re also eager to spread the word that going to the dentist on a regular basis can save your life. Additional signs to look out for include red or white patches in the mouth, persistent oral pain, difficulty swallowing and any abnormal lumps in the mouth or throat.

Practices across the country are offering free screening checks during November and you can find out more about the campaign and participating clinics at www.mouthcancer.org.